


Time

by smolfurball



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 02:18:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6781414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolfurball/pseuds/smolfurball
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lapis learning about how time passes by after unfusing.</p><p>((Old fic in my files when I had no internet back in October and finally able to upload, unfortunately all written before "Catch And Release" and therefore things are. Not entirely up-to-canon. But I wanted to post this before the newest episodes.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Steven

**Author's Note:**

> So each chapter is gonna be titled after the character being focused on with Lapis. They all don't have relevance to eachother if you just want some small Lapis/other character interactions.
> 
> ALSO NOTE: the italics are the interactions directly between Lapis and the character starring the chapter. Sort of like, memory-esque? Yeah.

As Lapis, she has been on Earth for five months, two weeks, and four days.

In the beginning, she wasn’t too good at counting the hours, minutes or seconds; Steven was helpful in showing her a calendar and explaining how humans keep track.

Day and night cycles help her mark down day in and day out since she‘s unfused with Jasper and took residence on the Crystal Gems‘ couch.

The first thing Steven did to try and help her be comfortable was claim the couch as Hers. 

_“It’s… mine?” Lapis asks, eyes blank when looking over the piece of furniture. It wasn’t much to brag about. It’s like a chair, but longer? Probably to hold more occupants._

_She remembers seeing two of the Crystal Gems sitting on it when Steven went to tell them about her. How she’s thinking in there. Not a dead tool._

_Her form’s hands clutch tighter at her own biceps, as if to keep together and not poof. That’s what they would want, anyways._

_“Yeah!” Steven answers cheerfully, moving past Lapis to sit on it with ease, short legs kicking over the edge. “You can’t really stay in the temple like the others can, so… you can stay here! From here on out, this couch belongs to Lapis Lazuli!” His arms go up in the air, as if announcing something great in the grand scheme of things. But it just made her seem more uneasy. Something in the Crystal Gem’s lair, hers? It makes her skin crawl, finger pads trying to sooth the feeling, gaze faltering away at the ground._

_Getting a less eager response than expected, the boy’s arms lower down to the cushion, eyes wandering as if to find the key to Lapis’ calm. All he could do is pat his palm at the space next to him, offering a kind smile. “At least give it a try? It’s suuuuuper comfy.” His smile grows into a toothy grin, eyebrows dancing up and down, it earning a giggle bubbling from Lapis’ lips._

_He always was easy like that. She moved around the table to sit near his hand, rather than on it, all the while he kicked his feet, as if he was about to burst at her cooperating. “Yeeeah!! How do you like it, Lapis? Comfy, right?” He asks, eyes starry and expecting._

_Her weight makes the cushion sink, giving some bounce back as Lapis tested it out, hands slowly going down to rub her palms at the surface. Not as smooth as her skin, nothing special._

_By itself, it’s nothing special, but a part of her warms up at the sensation, eyes going down to look at her palm close to Steven’s, poking his pudgy thumb. It’s warm. Warmer than how she feels, and suddenly, she gets colder, pulling away as her knuckles rasped against the fabric to clench gently away._

_“Y…Yeah. Thank’s Steven.”_

And in a blink, another week passed, and she‘s counted every stitch on one of the couch‘s cushions seventy-two times.

Earth days are so short.

 

 


	2. Connie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Connie! It's a brief chapter, like, probably the second-shortest? Or shortest.

Day four.

The first human Steven really introduced Lapis to was his best friend, Connie.

Lapis recognized her from the tower, and almost crushing her when coming out of the ocean as Malachite.

…That probably explains the initial hesitance of the small human girl whenever Steven stepped away, even for a moment.

_“So what were your eyes like before Steven healed them?” Lapis asks when looking through the empty rims of Connie’s glasses, Steven giggling at how silly they seemed to make her look. Connie only rolled her eyes, gaze staying up at the sky, brows furrowing._

_“O…kay? I’m not sure how to describe it in a way that‘d be relatable. They weren’t damaged or anything like how your gem was by any means.” She starts, with a sweeping gesture of a hand. “I guess the simplest way of saying is that I couldn’t see things well if they were far away. Like that sign over there?” Lapis had to turn her head to look over at the No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service sign that Connie pointed to before she continued to explain._

_“I wouldn’t have been able to read it unless I got up and walked to it, and even then, get my face really close! But that’s why I had glasses in the first place. They helped me see things how I do now, without them.”_

_“Wow, that sounds…” Lapis took off the glasses, trying to mull on the right word to use. “Interesting? We never had to worry about Gem’s sight or lack thereof back on Homeworld. But it seems like something easily fixed if it were something that needed attention.”_

_“Even back when you were on old Homeworld?” Connie asks, Steven cringing at the phrasing, letting out a slow hissing noise and trying to cooly make a signal to Connie to maybe not ask in that way._

_Obviously having seen the encounter, Lapis just looked up at the sky, squinting at how bright the sun was, clouds slowly moving to cover part of it._

_“Yeah, even back then.”_

Eventually, Connie grew to trust Lapis more, sure she wouldn’t just turn around and drown her. And in turn, Lapis asked and answered more questions between the two, picking up hobbies and, heck, read some of Connie’s favorite books.

It turned out that reading books were just as fun as watching movies and TV. Even, at times, better. She didn’t have to worry about the overload of visual and auditory triggers and just let her mind swim and create what she was reading over.

Also, she can read all she wants as Steven sleeps, since watching TV or trying some of his games don’t really work out. That part is nice.


	3. Amethyst

Amethyst started talking to her after one month and three days.

She helped time slow down. Savor, soak in.

She doesn’t know anything about the Old Homeworld other than what is told by her companions, but isn’t blissfully ignorant of everything like Steven seems to be. It evens out the battleground of conversation.

_“Can we… change topic?” Lapis hesitantly asks, glancing over at Amethyst, who is sitting next to her on the cool sand. They have been talking for however long she can remember. Long since Steven fell asleep and Amethyst thought it was good time to make amends, maybe just make the transition easier. “No offense, but I don’t want to verbally dwell on what I already think about.”_

_“Yeah, totally!” Amethyst answers without so much of a pause, eager to change the direction of conversation. She was never one to enjoy topics like what Homeworld might be cooking up, or how outcasted she feels by Garnet and Pearl. Her feet kick deeper into the sand, digging up little trenches while considering what to talk about. Ask._

_“Soooo….” The shorter of the two drawl, head bobbing side to side as her gaze dawdled around the beach back to Lapis, seeing how rigid she still was, huddled up with thin arms wrapped around her knees._

_“Has Steven made you try fry bits yet?”_

Their mutual understanding of not bringing up heavy topics helped that said battle immensely. Conversations stick to the superficial, what Amethyst can show Lapis to make Earth seem not so miserable. Add spice and sustenance to the day in, day out, and make her feel a spark of new experiences every second, even by not moving.

In return, Amethyst has something to do, and someone who’s willing to look at things in her perspective.

She taught Lapis about the little things on Earth to kill time with that Steven seems to take for granted. Breathing, sleeping, eating, letting her physical form feel more than the eternal numbness that was a constant state of being.

Some experiences are better than others, few even added to some of Lapis’ troubles to begin with, but it adds a spice she can feel. A chill she can smell. Feeling the sand tickle between her toes and taste the ocean air through her nostrils.

It gave her time to notice the sunset, and the beautiful hues that color the sky. Pink and orange clouds soon cooling to blue and purple. The moon would actually rise, it being accompanied by the many stars that tug at Lapis’ chest as they shown one by one. Soon enough her eyelids would droop, and she’d descend down back into the house and drowse on the couch, fading in and out, noticing the brightness of the fridge opening, Amethyst rummaging through it.

Once in awhile she’ll get up and accompany her with 3AM snackies, letting cold cuts and other strange foods dance on her tongue, mumbling some of the new sensations she can learn the name of from the other in hushed, excited whispers.

_She had to hold her hand over her mouth to silence the giggles behind her lips, taking a breath through her nose to calm down enough to swallow, eyes squeezed shut as she trembled, feeling every morsel trail down her throat, little pops in her ears._

_Opening them up again, she can see Amethyst’s eyes alight with wonder, strangely matching her Cheshire grin. It only relaxed to smugness when seeing Lapis to not punch her shoulder for the bad combo, leaning over the counter. “So, come on!” She barely whispered, “Crackle candy and stale popcorn with chocolate chips, am I right or am I right?”_

_“It was so… weird!” Lapis blurted, hands quickly shooting back up when exclaiming the last word out a little too loudly, wide eyes glancing to Steven’s room._

_Silence._

_“Weird doesn’t cut it, Lapepperoni!” Amethyst replies, jabbing the other’s shoulder with a finger. “What tastes or sensations did you pick up on?”_

_“Well, the popcorn wasn’t… as crunchy as it was when we saw the movie yesterday? But still really salty and buttery, but that wasn’t even the best part!” Lapis grins, hands moving up and down excitedly, helping her stay quiet. “Those crackle things? I can still feel them! Just… fizzing around? And the chocolate smoothed out all of it! All of it is salty, sweet, and a little bitter? It’s so good how did you come up with it?” Her sentences fall out a little too quickly, trying to take in the after taste and the sensations of the candy in her system._

_“Ehhh, I saw some teenagers do it years ago.” Amethyst answers nonchalantly with a flick of her wrist, playing it cool by rolling her eyes._

_“Also,” Lapis continues, regaining some of her calm when looking over the mess on the counter. Candy dust, a half empty bag of chocolate chips with some of it’s contents scattered about surround a butter-soaked popcorn bag, it having a camera roll on it with some stars; the cauldron of their newest creation. She picks up the bag of chocolate chips, noticing how empty it almost is, “Wasn’t Pearl going to make cookies with these tomorrow? Won’t she be… mad?”_

_“Pfffft, as if you care!” Amethyst chokes out, sputtering out some spit before taking a handful of their shared treat and taking it down the hatch._

_Lapis thinks it over before shrugging her own shoulders, gaining a smirk of her own when reaching for more… whatever this snack should be called._

_“You’re right, I don’t.”_

Other times, she pretends to not notice, chest slowly rising and lowering in faux slumber, sometimes seeing Amethyst completely ignore her or look over to see if she’s awake.

Despite the new relationship they built, and how carefree they are, there is the mutual guard they keep up around each other. Just under the surface.

Lapis, for the millennia of questions she holds about why she wasn’t let out earlier. Why Amethyst didn’t see anything wrong. The anger just bubbling under her palms, wanting to lash out.

Why?

Amethyst seems to have a more noble, but still self-interested guard. To keep things just how they were, ensure that Lapis doesn’t hurt anyone enough to jam the gears. Pull at the seams and make this organized chaotic unit called a family just less-so organized.

A part of her still had the temptation to just tear her form limb from limb until only the gem was there, and crush it under the pressure of the ocean. Make her feel just a fraction of what Lapis is constantly reliving by any little trigger.

Maybe then, some of her sick, boiling and bitter rage would simmer away.

But of the entire trio, Lapis could consider Amethyst the least worst of all.

And she likes eating fry bits with her more than being a prisoner.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favorite but that's because. Fave gems. I'm guilty.


	4. Pearl

Pearl didn’t necessarily talk to Lapis as a person herself, despite the massive amounts of snooping she’s done when walking around the beach or town with Steven, until she caught Lapis doing some chores on month three, week one, day three.

_“Lapis, what are you doing?”_

_The glass in Lapis’ hands drops back into the soapy warm water with a plop, resulting in another flinch accompanying the one Lapis was in the process of. She takes a step back and flicks her wrists, water and suds splashing onto the counter with a grimace._

_When she turns to the side to see who the voice belonged to-- Pearl. The look she’s giving makes Lapis want to shrink a bit more, frantically looking for the dish towel, grabbing it and hastily drying her hands, giving them something to do. Calm down. Breathe._

_“Nothing! Nothing at all.” The shorter of the two answers, gaze keeping away from Pearl, who is stepping off from the Warp Pad, brows knitting into an unintentional scowl, trying to piece together the scene._

_Lapis Lazuli was… doing dishes?_

_Pearl’s hands come together, looking from the ocean gem to the soapy, water-logged and dishe-filled catastrophe she created. She is trying her hardest to not just march forward, push her “guest” away to fix everything up to how she does it. Every single day._

_But instead, she steps closer to be at a reasonable distance from the other, both equally rigid and still like the gemstones on each of them._

_“Uh huh…. Lapis, you do know that I do the dishes, right?” Pearl asks, talking slowly, cautious of every word she’s using._

_“I know. But I thought I’d… give it a try?” Lapis replies, shrugging her shoulders afterwards with an attempt to give a sheepish smile. “Steven suggested I help you out, he even showed me how to do it.” She motions to the sink with a nod of her head._

_“Of course he did.” Pearl muttered, shoulders hiking up as she pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes squeezing shut. Then, she takes a breath before walking to the counter, sure to go around Lapis, and rummage her hands in the sink, finding the sponge inside and undoing the plug, water draining down noisily._

_“So tell me, Lapis…. how exactly did Steven… instruct you how to do this?” She finally asks, arranging the dirty, soapy dishes up to not be a mess in the sink. Lapis circles around to observe more efficiently, constantly looking from Pearl’s hands working on the task to her face, trying to read her expression._

_“He just said rub the dishes with warm water and soap with the sponge before putting it in a stack to dry.” Lapis answers, then tapping a still-wet and obviously soapy plates set to the side. It just makes Pearl’s skin crawl._

_“Well…” Pearl starts, reaching over to grab said plates and putting them on the “unwashed” ones. “He was not wrong. But there’s more than just that. You have to sponge up the filth from these plates, bowls and… everything else. But you have to rinse away the soap and anything you scraped off. Otherwise, it’s pointless.” As she instructs, she turns on the tap. With one soapy sponge in hand and plate in the other, she starts scrubbing away, top and bottom, then rinses it under the stream. “Like this. Then you dry it with a towel… like you have, right now.”_

_She then offers the plate to Lapis, who stares at it for a moment longer than was necessary before taking it, sure to be careful of it’s slick, clean surface._

_“Like if you were drying your own hands. When it’s dry, put it aside on the counter. We can put them away when they’re all done.” Pearl says._

_They trade off who washes and dries halfway through, Pearl trying her hardest to patient, and Lapis to be gentle. They don’t talk further than that, air heavy with tension._

_Lapis got the rhythm of it easily enough, mumbling the steps to herself when scrubbing and rinsing. Drying and placing. She was intent that her hands touched anything but Pearl’s, and almost broke that when hearing the door slam with someone returning, head whipping with wide, borderline-panicked eyes._

_Steven gasps loudly when seeing both Pearl and Lapis standing next to each other, Pearl with a sponge and glass mug in each hand, and Lapis holding a plate and dish towel._

_“You guys are working together!” He exclaims with glee, hands clenching into fists to shake a bit as he grinned enthusiastically._

That was the last time they ever worked together, to Steven’s dismay. Everything past that point was rougher. Clashing. Lapis hangs out with Amethyst, she gets scolded as if she were Steven. She goes out and tries to get to know the Cool Kids, pick up their lingo, she gets rolled eyes.

Heaven forbid she shares anything about how she feels around Steven. It got to a point that Lapis doesn’t even try contributing to the chores, not after she tried doing the laundry with Pearl in hopes of things being calmer. It just ended in yelling, Steven losing one of the many shirts he owns, and Lapis flying off for a one week and three days.

_“Steven was worried sick about you the whole time, you know.” Pearl mentioned as Lapis was fixing herself a sandwich later that day. He finally left the house since her return, out for some movie with Connie._

_“Yeah.” Lapis replies numbly, brows furrowed in a scowl as she went through the motions._

_“Yeah? That’s all you have to say?” Pearl fumes, crouching down and shooting back up with some new dirty laundry in her hands. “He thought you were going back to Homeworld! Without an explanation or-”_

_“I wouldn’t. I’m back, and he shouldn’t worry anymore. Or you, for that matter.” Lapis interjects, closing the fridge with the heel of her foot, shooting Pearl a tired glare as she went to sit on the couch, not feeling or tasting anything as she took a bite._

Of all the Crystal Gem’s, Pearl probably is the worst to her. But she also has the past bias of hearing and seeing her every single time she summoned the mirror.

Lapis takes every opportunity to bring it up, after that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the Pearl chapter! Garnet's is last, but I need to... uh, finish that. So that'll be on hold for at least a day.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going to post all the other chapters for this in (mostly) one go. So Get Ready Kids.


End file.
